Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A17 Pro
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Apple A12Z Bionic vs Apple A17 Pro

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The Apple A12Z Bionic is a processor primarily developed for powerful tablets. It is manufactured using the 7 nm process and is based on the A12 architecture.

The Apple A12Z Bionic features an integrated graphics unit named Apple A12Z. Its single-core performance and multi-core performance are solid for demanding mobile applications. With a maximum memory bandwidth of 68 GB/s and an 8 MB Level 2 cache, it enables fluid gaming in most mobile titles.

Since it is built into older devices, the Apple A12Z Bionic is not available separately. Its strengths lie in its established and reliable performance for productive tasks and entertainment on tablets. The Apple A17 Pro is a chip designed for modern high-end smartphones.

It uses a more advanced 3 nm manufacturing process and bears the architecture codename Ibiza. The Apple A17 Pro integrates a graphics unit called Apple A17 Pro (6 GPU Cores). It shows significantly higher single-core performance and notably improved multi-core performance compared to the Apple A12Z Bionic.

This is due to architectural improvements and the more advanced manufacturing process, which also contributes to improved energy efficiency. With a 20 MB Level 2 cache and a 24 MB Level 3 cache, the Apple A17 Pro offers a superior gaming experience. For users who prioritize cutting-edge mobile performance, especially in gaming and very compute-intensive tasks, the Apple A17 Pro is the better choice.

For users who prioritize cutting-edge mobile performance, especially in gaming and very compute-intensive tasks, the Apple A17 Pro is the better choice. For solid performance in a tablet for general tasks and creativity, the Apple A12Z Bionic remains a good option if the overall device package fits.

Apple A12Z Bionic

  • 7 nm manufacturing process.
  • Solid performance for mobile productivity and entertainment.
  • Integrated Apple A12Z graphics unit.
  • Max. memory bandwidth: 68 GB/s.

Apple A17 Pro

  • Advanced 3 nm manufacturing process.
  • Significantly higher single-core and multi-core performance.
  • Superior gaming performance thanks to Apple A17 Pro (6 GPU Cores).
  • Improved energy efficiency.

Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks

Single-core performance
Rank 2 - 49 %
Apple A12Z Bionic
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple A17 Pro
Multi-core performance
Rank 2 - 73 %
Apple A12Z Bionic
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple A17 Pro
Geekbench 6 Single-Core

Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple A12Z Bionic
8C / 8T · 2.49 GHz
1,351
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 3.78 GHz
2,952
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core

Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple A12Z Bionic
8C / 8T · 2.49 GHz
4,798
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 3.78 GHz
7,235
Geekbench 5, 64bit Single-Core

Geekbench 5, 64bit Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple A12Z Bionic
8C / 8T · 2.49 GHz
1,124
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 3.78 GHz
2,140
Geekbench 5, 64bit Multi-Core

Geekbench 5, 64bit Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple A12Z Bionic
8C / 8T · 2.49 GHz
4,718
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 3.78 GHz
5,868
iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

Apple A12Z Bionic
Apple A12Z
1,152
Apple A17 Pro
Apple A17 Pro (6 GPU Cores)
2,147
AnTuTu 9 Benchmark

AnTuTu 9 Benchmark
Multi-core performance

Apple A12Z Bionic
8C / 8T · 2.49 GHz
779,044 pts
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 0.70 GHz
1,108,570 pts
AI performance (NPU)

AI performance (NPU)

Apple A12Z Bionic
8C / 8T · 2.49 GHz
5.0 TOPS
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 0.70 GHz
35.0 TOPS

More benchmarks

At a glance

Wischen
Apple A12Z BionicApple A17 Pro
FamilyApple A series (27)Apple A series (27)
CPU groupApple A12/A12X/A12Z (3)Apple A17 Pro (1)
ArchitectureA12Ibiza
Technology7 nm3 nm
SegmentSmartphone / TabletSmartphone / Tablet
Socket
PredecessorApple A10X FusionApple A16 Bionic
SuccessorApple A18 Pro

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

Wischen
Apple A12Z BionicApple A17 Pro
CPU Cores / Threads8 / 86 / 6
Hyperthreading / SMT
Core architecturehybrid (big.LITTLE)hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Core Cluster 1: 4x Vortex
2.49 GHz
2x Ibiza P-Core
0.70 - 3.78 GHz
Core Cluster 2: 4x Tempest
1.59 GHz
4x Ibiza E-Core
0.74 - 2.11 GHz
L2-Cache8.00 MB20.00 MB
L3-Cache24.00 MB
Overclocking

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Wischen
Apple A12Z BionicApple A17 Pro
GPU nameApple A12ZApple A17 Pro (6 GPU Cores)
GPU frequency1.13 GHz0.39 - 1.40 GHz
CUs / Shader32 / 51224 / 768
Raytracing
Max. displays11
Max. GPU Memory6 GB6 GB
Technology7 nm3 nm
Release dateQ1/2020Q3/2023

NPU AI performance

Wischen
Apple A12Z BionicApple A17 Pro
AI hardwareApple Neural EngineApple Neural Engine
AI specifications8 Neural cores @ 5 TOPS16 Neural cores @ 35 TOPS
NPU + CPU + iGPU

Memory & PCIe

Wischen
Apple A12Z BionicApple A17 Pro
MemoryLPDDR4X-4266 (68.2 GB/s)
LPDDR5-6400 (51.2 GB/s)
Max. Memory6 GB8 GB
Memory channels21
ECCNoNo
PCIe
PCIe Bandwidth

Thermal Management

Wischen
Apple A12Z BionicApple A17 Pro
TDP15 W11 W
TDP (PL2)
TDP up
TDP down
T. junction max.

Technical details

Wischen
Apple A12Z BionicApple A17 Pro
Chip designChipletChiplet
AES-NI
Operating systemsiOSiOS
Instruction setArmv8-A (64 bit)Armv8.6-A (64 bit)
ISA extensions
Release dateQ1/2020Q3/2023
Release price
Documents

Your rating

Here you can rate one or both of the processors. The average rating of Apple A12Z Bionic is 4.2 stars (84 ratings), while Apple A17 Pro has received 4.1 stars (457 ratings).

Click on the stars to rate one or both processors.

Apple A12Z Bionic
Apple A12Z Bionic
8C / 8T · 2.49 GHz
Apple A17 Pro
Apple A17 Pro
6C / 6T · 0.70 - 3.78 GHz

Most popular CPUs in both categories

Apple A12Z Bionic
Apple A12Z Bionic
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